Words fail you
by Ana Luthor
Summary: Sometimes it's easier to understand the silence. [Harry & Luna] [One shot]


**Pairing:** Harry/Luna  
**Rating:** PG  
**Disclaimer:** Except for the plot, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
**Summary:** Sometimes it's easier to understand the silence.  
**Written for the hpllficathon challenge:**Mr. Lovegood disappears—how will Harry comfort Luna?

* * *

**Words fail you**

Harry carefully entered the room. It was dark, except for the faint moonlight. He saw Luna sitting in a corner next to the telescopes. He approached her slowly, but loudly enough to make himself heard and stood still by her side. She didn't make a move. She showed absolutely no sign that she had noticed Harry's presence.

&&&

_Harry had joined his friends in the common room, one hour after the Quidditch practice. _

"Have you heard about Luna's father, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"No, what happened?"

"He's missing," Ron answered, sighing heavily.

"What?"

"The Ministry received a call … someone talking about the Dark Mark. They went to check and it was floating above Luna's house."

"They found the house empty," Ron added.

"And no signs of struggle," Hermione finished.

Harry didn't say a word.

"It's so horrible," she continued. "Poor Luna, her father was the only family she had, and now this."

"Hermione, don't talk as if he was dead already, the Order can--"

"Oh, honestly Ron! Do you **really** think the Order will find him? They didn't find Angelina nor Colin's parents, I really doubt they'll find Luna's father in time."

"You used to trust them," he said, frowning.

"And I stil do. But things are different now that ... well, that Dumbledore's gone. I don't blame the Order for not finding them, there's so much going on and—Harry, where are you going?"

He didn't look back. All he could think about now was that he had to find Luna.

&&&

"Luna?" Harry asked, tentatively.

She looked up, as if she had just noticed that he was there.

"Hello, Harry," she said, smiling sadly.

"How are you?" he asked, sitting by her side.

It was a stupid thing to ask, really. Of course she was sad. Even so, Harry couldn't think of a more appropriate question.

"I'm dizzy," she said, frowning a bit.

"Dizzy?"

"Yes, I haven't eat that well today and I think I walked too much."

"Do you want me to go get something for you? It's almost time for dinner."

"No, it's okay. I'm not hungry."

"Oh. Right."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, simply.

"I... Well, I heard that you could be here, so I came to see how you were," Harry lied. Almost.

&&&

_He ran through the whole castle. The Ravenclaw house, the grounds, the Great Hall, the lake, everywhere. Absolutely no sign of Luna. He stopped, leaning against a wall, trying to catch his breath. It was when he realized that he could have looked on the Marauder's Map to find out where she was that he started to run again, heading to his dorm room._

_"Mr. Potter, what's the rush?" McGonagall asked, grabbing his arm._

_"I ... Well ... I ..." he stuttered, but then he remembered that he didn't have to lie. "I'm going to see Luna."_

_"Oh." The expression on McGonagall's face softened and she released Harry's arm. "I was looking for Miss Lovegood myself, actually. Do you know where she is?"_

_"Well, she is..." Now he had to lie, because he still had to look into the Map. "Hermione knows, I'm going to ask her."_

_McGonagall didn't say anything, she seemed to be considering what she would do next._

_"What happened Professor? Did they find Luna's father?"_

_"Yes, they found him," she sighed heavily, avoiding looking in Harry's eyes._

_He knew why. The Order had failed. He felt a burning pain in his chest; a feeling of despair. He didn't know Luna's father, but it didn't matter. He was innocent and now he was dead. And Hermione was right. He was the only family Luna had._

_"Dead," Harry said, bitterly._

_"I need to tell that to Miss Lovegood," McGonagall said, with a hint of sadness._

_Harry remained silent. He couldn't believe what was happening. The thought of Luna receiving such a terrible notice made his heart feel heavy. Yet, he did the only thing he felt he should._

_"Mr. Potter?"_

_"You don't have to, Professor. I'll tell her."_

&&&

"That's very sweet of you, Harry," she said, giving him another sad smile. "But I don't think I'll be pleasant company now."

"You're always pleasant company, Luna," he said, instinctively putting his hand on hers.

She kept silent, looking at Harry's hand that was resting on her own and then she looked up at him.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He looked back at Luna and saw all the sadness in her eyes, now so red from crying, staring at him. Eyes that reminded him nothing of the dreamy ones he was so used to seeing.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asked, softly.

"About what?"

Harry looked at her, confused. "About ... about your father."

Luna sighed.

"He's with mum now."

"What?"

"I don't feel him anymore, Harry. I know he's with her now."

Harry was taken aback. She couldn't know that her father was dead. Yet, she did. He didn't know what to say, but he had asked McGonagall to give Luna the notice. Now he wished he hadn't.

"McGonagall told me some minutes ago," he started, unsure. "The Order found him, he's ... well, he's ..."

"Dead," Luna said, blankly.

Harry watched her for a few seconds, unable to think of anything to say. But then, he chose the most obvious words.

"Luna, I'm so sorry."

She stared at him for a long time.

"I know, Harry."

He continued to stare at her. Now she was an orphan, just like him. Harry missed his parents every single day, he missed the moments he never had with them, but Luna ... She had met her parents, she had lived with them. She had real memories to miss. Harry couldn't tell what was more painful.

"If there's anything I can do for you, please, just tell me. I--"

"There isn't, Harry," she said, calmly. "But thank you for offering. You're a great friend."

He was. At least he was trying to be. He didn't know what to say nor what to do, and he didn't believe that his mere company could be enough. Luna had been such a great friend and she had done so much for him. And now, he couldn't even manage to say nor do the right thing to make her feel better. He felt useless.

Luna was watching the sky and he noticed that her mouth was moving slowly, but there was no sound coming from it. He also noticed that she seemed to be fighting against the tears. He continued to watch her, in silence.

A single tear fell from Luna's eye. Harry felt his heart getting heavy again. As heavy as when he knew about Sirius's death. As heavy as when Fawkes had stopped singing at Dumbledore's funeral.

"I'm alone, Harry. People always leave," she said, starting to cry faintly.

Harry had never seen her cry and it was a painful sight. He did the only thing that felt right at that moment.

"Come here," he said, pulling her into a hug.

In any other moment, he would have felt awkward for doing that, but not now. Now Luna needed him and he needed to comfort her.

She was crying on Harry's chest and holding him tight. He had never seen her so vulnerable, so sad. The Luna he was holding in his arms wasn't the dreamy girl full of beliefs. She was a girl who had to, once again, deal with the loss of someone she loved.

"You're not alone, Luna," he said, stroking her hair. "You have me."

She held him tighter and said nothing. She didn't have to. Harry had understood her silence. He looked at the sky while he stroked her hair and watched the moon. There were no stars.

Harry didn't know how long they stayed there, but Luna was no longer crying. She was still holding him, but he made no objection.

"Harry," she whispered. "Thank you. For being my friend."

Harry smiled, slightly.

"Thank you for letting me," he said, closing his eyes.

They remained there, silent and holding each other. There was a war going on outside, but right now, Harry didn't care. For the first time in months, he felt that he was exactly where he should be.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm so glad that Frances said I could kill Luna's father ) I had changed many things in the story (which was written before the challenge), but now it's exactly how I wanted. Luna's and Harry's last lines were actually taken from a Dawson's Creek episode, from a beautiful scene between Dawson and Jen. And the story title came from Kris Delmhorst's beautiful song. Especial thanks to my beta, who's always so great, Rebecca.


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